BMW i3 has a six-months waiting list

Even though sales of the battery powered i3 compact model started in Europe just last November, early adopters already face a challenging task, as the buyers have to now join a six-month waiting list.

According to BMW and its dealers, this is due to high demand and not production issues. Ian Robertson, BMW sales chief, disclosed the company has so far received about 11,000 orders globally for the i3. In the United States, where actually sales will only begin this May, BMW has already taken 1,200 orders for the car, Robertson added.

Robertson told Automobilwoche, a German publication, that around 80 % of i3 sales were to customers coming from other brands or to people who hadn’t owned cars previously. Also, German dealership representatives told Automobilwoche that i3 sales are better than what they originally anticipated.

In relation to the strong demand so far, last October, BMW Chief Financial Officer Friedrich Eichiner commented that if the trend goes on, the company is considering a production increase in Leipzig, Germany, where i3 output for 2014 is likely to reach at least 10,000 vehicles.